... and Canada
New York City, “you are simply the best!”
Connecticut: My first love
A great place for a Sunday brunch, with an ocean view, is the Water Edge Resort in Westbrook.
Atlanta, Georgia: Scarlett is gone...
We also spend one day in Georgia`s Stone Mountain Park, where Jakob climbed on the granite rocks.
Cape Cod: Spectacular beaches
Our Canada trip: Quebec City, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick
When I was talking about the USA as a big land of many empty, lonely roads I did not see Canada at this point yet (or at least a tiny part of it, even we were driving about 2000 miles...). You can not handle the traffic (ha, ha), especially in Nova Scotia, and it happens there that you see a moose along the road or a whale from the window of your hotel. Do not expect exciting cities there, but an amazing nature experience! And, surprisingly, many good places to eat.
1.Stop: Quebec
Beautiful old town but too many tourists! Do not expect real french cuisine experience... And very pricy. Jakob loved it, especially all the circus artists in the town. The summer festival with all the artists around the town is fantastic.
2. Prince Edward Island
Endless biking trails through the island!
Endless beaches for long walks! A small paradise, but the temperature are on the lower side.
Looking for a small luxury resort with a great restaurant? Stay at the "Dalvay-by-the-Sea". You will feel like in one of Jane Austin novels...
3. Stop: Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia
It is actually a Highlands National Park, an absolute must see for nature lovers!
Dramatic views from the cliffs, spectacular hikes!
And do not miss the breath taking scenic drive along the Cabot Trail!
Just love it!!!
Last stop : New Brunswick
We stayed for just two nights on our way back in St.Andrews B-the-Sea. Very cute town.
And a great destination for a beach vacation and to explore the nature (close by is the Fundy National Park).
Great place to stay: The Fairmont Algonguin (Do not miss to dine there!).
"North against South", the two Carolinas
I personally prefer North, as usual. South is just too hot for me.
Last year we visited Hilton Head Island in the south of South Carolina (it is almost at the border to Georgia). A paradise island for somebody who loves the beach and the heat. Not me. But I loved to explore the gorgeous cities: Charleston, Beaufort and Savannah (in Georgia). They still look like in "Gone with the wind", the charm of the south!
Last month we went to the Outer Banks in North Carolina. Endless, white beaches, nature pure - something for nature and beach lover. We had definitely a good time there! No cities to explore, but many good restaurants, some even right at the water (unusual in the USA).
Last month we went to the Outer Banks in North Carolina. Endless, white beaches, nature pure - something for nature and beach lover. We had definitely a good time there! No cities to explore, but many good restaurants, some even right at the water (unusual in the USA).
New York City, “you are simply the best!”
I love, love New York!
I think a lifetime is not enough to explore and discover this city.
Every district is like a small town and has its own special flair. It is difficult for me to decide which one is my favourite. Probably Soho and Greenwich Village (which is not surprising). I like to walk in the small streets there, do some window shopping in the expensive design stores and have lunch in one of those many, many cute restaurants. Of course, you can get a really good coffee at every corner (the best: Café Roma, on the border between Soho and little Italy).
A special treat is when you can sit outside in good weather, have a drink and watch people-my absolute favourite thing to do in NYC! The street life is always so colorful and exciting (and loud).
Close to Soho is one of my favourite restaurants “The Spice Market”. It is in the Meat-Packing District, which is becoming fancy and popular.
Besides Central Park is Washington Square Park (much smaller), the best place to spend a day in the summer.
In NYC is so much to do!
My favourite Museums are the Guggenheim and the Whitney Museum of American Art. Our son prefers the American Museum of Natural History with all those dinosaurs and the Space and Earth Center. But the big hit for my husband and son was the visit on the Intrepid Sea-Air-Space Museum (a real battleship with an amazing collection of vintage and high-tech airplanes!).
Always when we get visitors from Germany I take them for a sight seeing tour on a ship or water taxi. This is the best way to get a first impression of the city. I enjoy it every time too, to see Manhattan from the water or from the Brooklyn bridge (best at sunset!).
My husband and I like to go to the Metropolitan Opera (which offers more traditional performance compared to those I know from Germany) or to Jazz concerts. New York has great jazz clubs. My favourite is “Vanguard” in West Village, so far.
We also go (together with our son) on some Sundays to basketball games in Madison Square Garden. (Watching a baseball game in Yankee Stadium was not really my thing.)
We also tried a few upscale restaurants. For a special occasion I would go to “Dove Tail” or “Jean-Georges”.
I could write many pages about NYC, but it is nothing compared to exploring the city by yourself. It is so worth it!!!
Connecticut: My first love
While living there I had plenty of time to explore Connecticut. My absolute favourite area is (of course!) the shore.
I love all those cute towns. Guilford, Old Saybrook, Stonington, and Mystic are worth a visit. The Mystic Aquarium is famous and a great place for kids. But while you are here do not miss to visit the Mystic Seaport museum. My husband and son went there at least three times, they just love it!!
A must-see are the Thimble Islands (small islands built with cottages on them, also called “Hundred Islands”) . You can go on small boats at Stony Creek to take a tour around the islands. Beautiful!!
I also highly recommend a trip to Block Island. It is just a 2 hour ferry ride from New London. You can spend one day or one week there. We rented bikes and explored the beaches and light houses and the interesting landscape of the island. The swordfish rolls were also excellent.
A great place for a Sunday brunch, with an ocean view, is the Water Edge Resort in Westbrook.
I do not like New Haven but to visit Yale University with the Old Campus is mandatory. I stayed for hours in the old and new library, which looks like an unbroken cube with amazing light inside(!) and in the museums. Around the University you will find many good restaurants and coffee shops.
Between New Haven and NYC there are a few nice and very expensive to live towns too, like Westport (good for shopping and dining) and Fairfield.
But Connecticut has even more to offer: an amazing and interesting countryside. When we got visitors from Germany I used to take them for one day to the Litchfield area and they always loved it. You can make a loop starting in New Milford, then go to Kent (where you find many galleries and very cute, old American style diners). Then go to West Cornwall. Here is the most gorgeous covered bridge (to drive through too) and next to the river is a great cabinet maker. He made our rocking chair. You follow the loop to the north and then go back and stay for longer in Litchfield, the biggest and probably most impressive town there, with wonderful old villas, nice shops and restaurants. I called it my “old America trip”.
Last but not least the capitol of Connecticut: Hartford.
If you want to know why they call Connecticut the Constitution State you should go to the Old State House. After that, visit the State Capitol. But my favourite part of Hartford is the Mark Twain House.
Ps. Oh, and do not forget to visit The Mashantucket Pequot Museum!! I did not see a better Native American Museum, so far. It is close to the more known Foxwoods Casino...
I just love Connecticut! But I will give New Jersey shore a chance this year…
Atlanta, Georgia: Scarlett is gone...
Atlantas downtown was a little disappointing. But there are a few attractions worth visiting.
I enjoyed the guided tour through the CNN Studios very much. Jakob wanted to spend the day in the World of Coca-Cola. He especially liked to sample all the kinds of Coke they had to offer… The Georgia Aquarium was the biggest and most impressive I saw, so far.
While visiting Atlanta you can not skip the history. It is a good place to teach the kids about the Civil War and Martin Luther King (Freedom Plaza).
Cape Cod: Spectacular beaches
There is no much to say about Cape Cod, it is just gorgeous!! Especially in April, when nobody is there. (I heard that the crowds are coming in the summer time…).
If you are a fan of long beach walks this is definitely your place. Or you can go for long bike rides on Cape Cod Rail Trail (like we did).
Unfortunately we did not take our kayaks with us but there are many lakes good for kayaking. My favourite part of Cape Cod is lower Cape: Brewster, Chatham, Orleans (Do not miss to have a latte at “Sparrow”!) and Wellfleet.
The most spectacular beach for me: LeCount Hollow Beach.
The best sea food with ocean view (overlooking Nantucket Sound) : The Ocean House in Dennisport.
A perfect place just to relax!
Maine: outdoor paradise
If you are a fan of the outdoors Maine is your paradise.
You can do almost everything there: hiking, kayaking, fishing, biking, swimming…and so on. If you prefer beach life you can stay at the coast. Otherwise you can go to all these many, many beautiful lakes (and mountains).
We decided to stay on Mount Desert Island and spend the days in Acadia National Park. It was gorgeous! The carriage roads make it possible to go for long bike tours with kids. Most of the hiking trails have a wonderful view to the ocean and the islands.
Unforgettable for me was our sea kayaking with a guide and a sunset sailing trip.
Washington: fun and a lot of history
Next to NYC, Washington, DC is my absolute favourite place to be.
I could just sit at the steps of the Capitol and look down to the National Mall for hours. The view is just amazing, and when the weather is nice it looks like a picnic with all these families there.
But the most wonderful and exciting thing in Washington are the Museums. And they are all for free!! So you can leave any time and come back later or next day. For visiting with kids – perfect! Jakob was most impressed by the Museum of Air and Space. My husband and I loved the Museum of American History, probably because it is so new to us…
And, of course, to see the White House in person is very special, too.
Washington has so much to offer, that you can easily spend a whole week there.
If you like food, this is a good place to go. For example we ate in an excellent African restaurant.
And do not miss Washington by night!
Boston: feeling like in England
We visited Boston during our first summer in the USA. And summer is definitely the right time to explore a city with a downtown at the waterfront.
After walking the Freedom Trail we went for a sight seeing cruiser ship trip.
For my boys the most exciting experience was visiting the USS Constitution.
My favourite areas in Boston are Beacon Hill and Newbury Street. Being there was like being in England again and I enjoyed the walking very much.
And do not miss taking a stroll thru little Italy, especially if you like the real Italian coffee shops with real cappuccino.
An absolute must see for the kids is the Museum of Science.
Disney World (Florida): not for me
Disney World-I think it is overrated. I know, most people do not agree with me, but it is just not my thing. Jakob was not so crazy about it either. No wonder, most hotels there have so many amenities already that you do not have to go to the parks. If I had to pick one park, I would choose “Sea World”.
Cape Canaveral
We go to the northern part, because our friends live there and it is much less crowded and less commercial.
Never without a camera: California (October, 2007)
Cape Canaveral is definitely worth the trip! I could easily spend more than one day there. My son was so fascinated by the space shuttles. To watch a 3D movie about the first steps on the moon was absolutely fantastic. And I for sure do not to forget the launch-simulator-experience… A must-see when you are in Florida.
Vermont: where the world is still the old days
We love to go to Vermont, for skiing in the winter or for hiking in the summer. Crossing the border to Vermont you automatically start to relax. You drive by a all those cute red barns and white churches, stay for lunch in small towns which have just one general store. Everything else is green.
We go to the northern part, because our friends live there and it is much less crowded and less commercial.
And you can even go for a small trip to Canada. We went to Montreal, just 2 hours away. On the way we did not see any car for more than one hour, just moose signs along the road…
Pacific
Arriving in San Francisco we found out we left our camera at home. My husband said “Doesn`t matter, we have our memories”. That was before we saw the Pacific. We drove the Highway Number 1 and stopped at one of the scenic outlooks. It just took our breath away. Five minutes later we were at the next Best Buy getting a new camera…
Sonoma
My absolute favourite place in California is Sonoma Valley. I like it even better than Napa. It is less crowded, also. We found a great location for wine tasting: Chateau St Jean. I could spend the whole day just sitting in this beautiful garden, eating the delicious cheese…and drinking wine, of course. Since then I always buy the chardonnay and cabernet from St. Jean. I wish we could go one day on a bike tour through Sonoma and Napa and stay in a few of these gorgeous wineries.
“The Streets of San Francisco”
Who would not like San Francisco?! And the cable cars: We had so much fun just driving up and down the city’s steep hills ! There are so many special places that I could not decide which one was my favourite. But at least I know my favourite view: The Golden Gate Bridge. (Especially when it is a little foggy). For our son, Alcatraz was the most exciting place. After that came Ghirardelli Place (I love this chocolate, too!).
Dinner at “Ana Mandara” (at Fisherman`s Wharf) is a good choice, when you like Vietnamese food (We do!).
Traveling on a high level: The Rockies (August, 2008)
Our Colorado Trip: Denver - Colorado Springs - Telluride-Mesa Verde National Park - Vail-Rocky Mountain National Park
Though I am used to high altitude from skiing in the Alps I got altitude sickness in Colorado. It happened on the summit of Pikes Peak. I still had enough energy to enjoy the spectacular panorama.
Did you know that about two thirds of Colorado is more than a mile above the sea level?!
But the funny part is that besides having short breath there are no other signs that the mountains are so high. You barely leave the altitude going to the villages and resorts so you stay most of the time on the same level. Like I said, going up the stairs in the hotel can be really challenging. I had this kind of problems in Telluride, my absolute favourite town in the Rockies.
An interesting contrast to the luxury of the ski resorts like Vail is Leadville, an isolated mountain town with historic character. Once it attracted miners, then it was deserted.
The Rocky Mountains are so beautiful that it is difficult for me to decide what I liked most. After a while you just get used to the great views and breathtaking panoramas.
Mesa Verde, the largest preserve in the USA, probably impressed me most.
And horseback riding in the Rocky Mountain National Park was a not-to-beat experience for me.
The biggest Surprise: Chicago (May 2007)
This city was the biggest surprise for me (not because of the election in 2008…). It was completely not what I expected. Maybe I was thinking of Al Capone. Or it was connected in my imagination with a lot of industry. I do not know but for some reason it was not on my top 10 list to visit. Not then.
It is a wonderful, open and very contemporary city. (And very clean!)
The absolute highlight is the breathtaking architecture. The best way to discover it is from the water. An architecture tour on the Chicago River is an absolute “must-see”.
There is a lot of water in Chicago. (Who would ever imagine?!) Standing on the beach at Lake Michigan I almost forgot I was not in Connecticut anymore. The lake seems more like an ocean.
Chicago has a lot to offer: great museums (!!), even for kids (my son enjoyed most the Museum of Science and Industry and the Aquarium), really good restaurants and hotels, and many opportunities just to relax. You can make a ship tour on Lake Michigan and watch Chicago’s skyline , which is amazing, from the water.
A really cool place to stay: “W” at Lake Michigan.
The wild, wild West
Las Vegas
Skip it. (Just joking!) I mean the idea to build a city middle in the desert is amazing. So is the view from the airplane by night. To see Paris next to Venice next to Egypt is funny. But it is not necessary to spend more than one night there. Yes, a few shows are good. For example the Knight Tournament, especially when you have kids with you.
On the other side there are all this drinking and gambling crowds…
When you arrive at the first scenic outlook it takes your breath away! I never in my life saw something more spectacular than this natural wonder. You are standing there and tears are running down your face because of all this beauty in front of you. You do not get tired to drive from one scenic point to another . (Except our son…) The view is always different . If possible go for a hike to the bottom of the canyon. Our (at this time 6 year old) son made it just half the way. You can easily spend a few days there, when you are hiking then even much longer. I hope one day( when our son is old enough) to go back to the Grand Canyon and walk most of the trails. What an adventure!!!
Monument Valley
Do you see John Wayne riding through the prairie? If not you do not have any imagination. This perfect scenery for western was discovered by the movie directors early. There is almost no western which does not show a part of Monument Valley. Yes, this is the wild, wild West how you know it…from the movies. The park is much bigger than you would expect so take a car and drive around. Or even better go horseback riding there. This is what we did. It was our first time on a horse. An experience I`ll never forget. (Coming home I started to take horseback riding lessons).
We even saw a sand storm. Fortunately just from the hotel room, Monument Valley disapered for a moment. And the sun rise-oh, my God! Just gorgeous!
It is not so famous as the Grand Canyon but not less beautiful. And there are still Indians living in the canyon, so it is not all open for the tourists. You can explore just a part of the Canyon on your own. Otherwise you have to go with a guide on a tour. Absolutely a must-see!!
Sedona
A place to get spoiled and relax. Sedona offers something for everybody: Beautiful scenery for hiking, good restaurants and hotels and many, many galleries and shops. It is a contrast to the very simple living in Canyon de Chelly (where for example you can not drink any alcohol, because it is Navajo Reservation ). Sedona is great but I would prefer to stay longer in the Canyons next time. I enjoyed the peace and a loneliness there.
Death Valley
Amazing! Spectacular!! And it is fun for kids too. Our son loved to walk, jump and play in the endless sand dunes. My husband and I behaved a little crazy too.
Surprising when you see how many artists settled down here. Or do you expect middle in the sand dunes an exhibition?! It is really something.
Do not go in the summer-too hot! We went there in April. This is a perfect time for this Arizona-Nevada tour.
Be aware: as much beauty as you see there you see a lot of poverty too. It is an interesting experience to visit the Navajo Reservation but it is sad to see how some of the Navajo Indians have to live.
What I like most: to experience how big this country is ( I knew it from the western with Gregory Peck “A Big Country” already…). You can drive for hours and not see anybody. My husband and I used to joke that when we would live here it would be like “ hey honey, I see our guests arriving, they will be here tomorrow!” This kind of experience you do not have in New Jersey or Connecticut. This is still the wild West!
